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Chapter 14

Kakashi came back soon enough, and the saint had thought ahead and bought me a couple of bars of chocolate. I sorted myself out and was now nibbling one of the bars of chocolate on the sofa, sitting across from Kakashi who was reading that book again. I guess he got over his association of that book with Gai doing... no, I wouldn't think about that while I was enjoying my chocolate. Everyone was benefitting from my chocolate consumption; I was a lot nicer to be with right now.

"Thanks."

"Maa, it was no trouble."

No trouble? Hah! "You Henge-d, didn't you?"

"Maybe. But you have to understand, I saw Kurenai at the store too. Do you realise how embarrassing that would be?"

"They're just toiletries."

"They're feminine toiletries. Knowing Kurenai, she'd assume I had a girlfriend or something. She's been bugging me about that a lot."

I ignored the jealous tingle in my stomach when I heard about Kakashi possibly having a girlfriend, "You could have just said it was just for me." he gave me a look, what- "Ohh..."

"Uh-huh."

"Well thanks anyway Hatake."

"Still Hatake?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't think I forgot that last task I asked you to do. You can't worm your way out of this."

"But a pink mask? Natsuki-chan, anything else. Please?"

I smiled and shook my head at him. He slumped into the sofa with a groan. Should I take pity on him? ...maybe just a little. "How about this; you still wear that pink mask for a whole day, but I'll be with you throughout. I'll make sure any comments don't go too far, and you'll have some company that isn't too embarrassed to be seen with you. Looks like a win-win situation to me."

Kakashi rolled over on the sofa with another groan, while I just smiled. Payback's a bitch Hatake.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No Hatake, now get your butt out of that house of yours before I come in there and get you! You made a deal." I was stood with my arms crossed outside Kakashi's house, waiting for said ninja to come out and take the 'present' I had in my hand. I had bought Kakashi's pink mask and was now waiting for him to come out and retrieve it. Today was the day. We were both off from ninja duties, and I had planned a lovely day out walking round the village. I had even packed us a lunch for our day out.

"Coming..." I heard the locks of his door and a shuffle of feet, before I saw the door open and Kakashi appeared. He wasn't wearing his hitai-ite, so I saw both mismatched eyes looking at me, and he was dressed in casual non-ninja clothes for once. Bu the biggest difference was that he wasn't wearing a mask. He was however covering his face with one hand, how one of his hands was large enough to cover half his face I'll never know, but I passed him the 'present' which he took begrudgingly. He turned around and slipped the mask on before turning to face me. "How do I look?"

I burst out laughing.

"Oh that's just perfect."

I calmed down eventually, "I'm sorry, I'm calm now. I just had to get it out of my system."

He huffed, "Let's just get this over with."

I felt a little sorrier for him as I watched him scuff his foot on the ground with a blush that almost matched his mask. "You don't have to do this if you really don't want to. I'll take the mask back if you want."

He stood a little straighter and took my wrist, "No, I am a shinobi, I can do this. But you had better start calling me Kakashi after this."

I smiled at him as he started dragging us towards the busier village centre, "I promise."

I have to say, it wasn't the best day to see Kakashi. If anyone could make wearing pink scary, Kakashi could... Ibiki too maybe. He was in such a dark mood; I was probably the only one that dared to go within five feet of him. Even then it was only because he had a tight grip on my wrist. I had a good time though. I liked spending time with Kakashi, even when he was in his foul mood. He was doing this for me. He probably scared quite a few people, and he was so mad he ate his lunch in less time than it took me to blink. Near the end of the day when we walked back to Kakashi's house his mood steadily improved. That is, until we ran into Gai, just finished with his training for the day. "Kakashi! My eternal rival!"

"Oh shit." Kakashi muttered, trying to walk away from the great green ninja.

I caught him by the arm and turned him to face Gai, "Be nice Hatake."

"Hey, you said you'd call me-"

"The day is not over yet. You have to get through Gai."

He sighed in defeat and looked at the fast approaching green blur. "Hello Gai."

"My eternal rival! Your mask! It's pink!"

"Yes... yes it is..."

"... How youthful! Not as youthful as green, but you are improving Kakashi! You are almost as hip as me now. What brought this on?"

"Er- well- I-"

I stepped in, I couldn't leave the poor guy hanging, "Pink's very in with some ladies Gai, in fact, I believe that Azami is quite a fan of the colour."

"Really? Then I shall go and buy a pink suit to please my BEAUTIFUL wife!" and off he went...

I felt Kakashi wrap an arm around my shoulders and rest his head on mine, stupidly tall person, "Is it the end of the day now?"

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his torso, "Yeah Kakashi, you did great. Let's get you home so you can get out of that ridiculous mask of yours."

"You aren't a lady that likes the colour? Don't you like a man in pink?"

Was he flirting with me? I could feel the circles he was tracing on my arm, sending shivers up and down the rest of my body. I liked being in his arms again, and I know that my crush was getting a little bigger every time I was around Kakashi, but I couldn't help it. Stupid crush. I buried my slightly blushing face into Kakashi's chest. "No, I hate the colour pink."

"Well what do you like?"

"Red."

"Ahh, much sexier."

"Kakashi!" he chuckled and started walking again, dragging me with him. I had to take about three steps for every one of his as we walked, but I liked us just walking and chatting about anything in mind. We arrived at his house too soon for my taste, but I didn't want to overstay my time with Kakashi. I didn't want him sick of me already. Maybe that's why he left? Was I really too clingy as his friend? I didn't think so, but those sorts of questions raced through my mind every day. I had never stopped wondering what had caused him to split. But whenever I approached the topic with him, he became stoic and was as much fun to talk to as a wall. I hoped one day he'd be able to tell me what I had done, if I had done anything. Until then, I'd probably never be rid of these questions. "Seeya Kakashi."

"Wait," he dashed into his house leaving me outside, before returning to me. He was wearing his usual blue mask and held out the pink mask to me. I took it back with a smile. Now when I look at this I know I'll be smiling or laughing at the memories of today, "Bye Natsuki-chan." He said, giving me a final hug before he closed the door.

I teleported home and made myself a cup of tea as I waited for Naruto to come home from his training. He had started training a lot harder recently, staying out until it was almost pitch black. I had been worried sick the first time. But I had placed a teleportation seal of mine onto the back of his hand when he was sleeping. If he was in trouble I'd know and be able to transport to him in an instant. It made sleeping a lot easier. Seeing as the sun had only just set, Naruto wouldn't be home for a few more hours, so I caught up on some reading of mine while I drank my tea. It was only two hours before I heard the front door open and felt Naruto's familiar high chakra aura enter the apartment. "Welcome home Naruto-kun."

"Hey Natsuki-chan!" he said as he gave me a sweaty hug.

"Ugh, Naruto! Go have a shower before you hug me, you stink!"

He laughed as he went to have a shower, "Wait up for me Natsuki-chan, I want to talk to you about something." I nodded while I kept reading, the world of fantasy in my hand sending me far into my imagination. Not long later I saw Naruto enter the kitchen again and sit on a chair opposite me. "Natsuki-chan I want my own place."

I spat out the tea that I had just gulped and started to choke. I felt Naruto hit my back several times to try and help, and the moment I could speak I did, "Y-You want to move out? Why?"

"I'm a shinobi Natsuki-chan; I can look after myself now! Dattebayo!"

"B-But you're only twelve. Don't you like living here with me?"

"I love living with you, but you're a grown up."

"I don't understand."

"You need to get laid."

My eyes almost popped out, "I am going to kill Azami."

"But it's true! You're an adult. All the other shinobi your age are out, having fun and partying, getting laid or having families. You don't do that, you have to look after me."

"But I love looking after you Naruto-kun." I said, pulling him into a hug which he reciprocated, "Besides, Azami doesn't do all those things. And I don't like parties and stuff anyway."

"But you don't even have a boyfriend."

"So? I've had boyfriends." If you count them as men, the foul chauvinistic pigs.

"I just don't want Natsuki-chan to grow old and lonely. I think it will be easier if you didn't have me to take care of and focused on you."

"How can I if I'll be worrying about you all the time?"

"I'm not helpless! Besides, Azami and I found an apartment not too far from you that I can rent."

"Azami? Azami knew about this idea of yours?"

"Ehehe, calm down Natsuki-chan."

I let go of Naruto and teleported myself to Azami's house in a second. She was lying on the sofa going through some paperwork when I found her, and she didn't look surprised to see me. "You told Naruto that it might be best to move out? He's a little boy!"

"Not for long. And you won't be a young woman forever."

"What's that supposed to mean? How can you ask me to abandon my brother like this?-"

Azami slapped me, hard, across my left cheek. I stared at her in shock. "Don't look at me like I betrayed you. It's about time you worried more about you than other people. You came to this world and instead of altering every terrible thing, you were strong enough to realise that some people would benefit from the bad. You took in Naruto and have cared for him since he was five. You became a ninja and put your life on the line everyday for your village. You helped me out of my depression even while you were in the middle of your own depression. Stop worrying about everyone else and think about yourself now! I'm worrying about you sweetie, Naruto worries about you too. We want to see you happy. And you know that he wouldn't be alone when he moves out even if he wanted to. He has his friends and us to stick to him through thick and thin."

I looked down at my feet, the sting of the slap gone now and nodded my head sadly, "But he's still my baby brother."

"Well make a baby of your own."

"Azami!"

"What? You're twenty-four sweetie, a year younger than I was when I found out I was barren. Have you even thought about a future family? Because you aren't getting any younger. And don't spin me that 'I'm busy' crap. Gai's busy and he still has time to-"

"Okay, okay... I get it... I don't like it, but I get it."

Azami gave me that creepy grin of hers, but creepier, "I see mini-Kakashis running circles around you Natsuki-chan."

"Azami!"

"What? Why are you always yelling at me? The sexual tension between you two is enough to send me running home to my Gai to try out all those positions-"

"Azami! Please! I did not need to know that. God, you two are worse than rabbits you are. And there isn't any sexual tension between Kakashi and me. We're just friends." Ouch that hurt a lot more to say out loud.

"Don't give me that crap either, I saw that face you just made. Anyone with eyes sees the way he looks at you, even with one eye. And you always brighten up with him. But you never touch. It's so frustrating!"

I rolled my eyes at Azami, romantic sod. "Goodnight Azami-chan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah, get laid woman. I wonder if Gai still has that book?"

Sufficed to say I hurried home as soon as I could shake off those images. I did not need to get laid. I was going through a work related dry spell, that's all. Besides, I didn't want to be bringing men home again when Naruto was probably there too. Talk about awkward mornings. Maybe it was time Naruto had his own space and I had mine.

But it better be a good apartment for Naruto. Close by too. And in a nice area.

Ugh, my baby brothers growing up too fast.